Observer Ethical Awards 2015 winners: Plymouth Energy Community

The Community Energy Project Award, in partnership with National Grid, has made great strides creating a greener city and reducing residents' bills

In Plymouth around 11% of households are in fuel poverty, a figure just above the national average. "Plymouth isn't the wealthiest city in the country, and it has quite a poor housing stock because during the war many houses were demolished and there were lots of quick fixes. A lot of those 'quick' fixes have never been upgraded," says Jemma Knowles, part of the low-carbon team at Plymouth city council.

Knowles, her colleagues and more than 850 local members run Plymouth Energy Community (PEC), a big-thinking, multifaceted project that aims to create a greener city and save residents money on their energy bills. Established in 2013, PEC has grown from a council initiative into a large community-led operation offering many different services to help the people of Plymouth.